In this week’s special edition of the Italian American Power Hour host John Viola, just back from the Big Easy, presents a special travel journal sharing his multi-year relationship with one of his favorite Italian American events of the year, the Annual St. Joseph’s Day Weekend in New Orleans, LA.
This year, John had the honor of serving as the ev...

Dozens of volunteers spend hours baking breads and cookies and preparing pasta milanese in preparation for St. Joseph’s Day (March 19) in the New Orleans area. St. Joseph Day altars, which pay tribute to the St. Joseph the patron saint of Sicily, were built at more than 75 churches, schools, bars, restaurants, hotels and grocery stores throughout t...

A massive feast is underway in Mishawaka to honor St. Joseph. St. Monica's Catholic Church is hosting two dinners to feed the community. The church expected hundreds of people to come grab a plate. So many people they needed two different dinners to fit everyone. With that many people, it took a lot of cooking.
People joke that Italians cook enough...

On Tuesday, March 19, the Italian American Heritage Foundation hosted its annual event in honor of St. Joseph, the city of San Jose’s patron saint. The focus is the St. Joseph Table, a feast for the community, with all attendees welcome. The tradition has its roots in Sicily, where peasants appealed to St. Joseph to ease a famine.
Their prayers an...

The Cultural Italian American Organization of Auburn will host its annual St. Joseph's Day Feast Celebration at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at the Springside Inn, 6141 W. Lake Road, Fleming. Brought to the U.S. by immigrants from southern Italy, the celebration includes a traditional table dinner with Italian antipasto, romaine/oranges salad, garlic...

Like the Irish, Italians around the city will toast their heritage with celebrations unfolding over the next several days. Highlights include folk dancing, an enormous communal bowl of pasta and a mobile St. Joseph's Altar rolling through the French Quarter.
The events are hosted by the Italian American St. Joseph Society, and they’re free and open...

The food and the fig cookies will flow when area Catholic churches and organizations host St. Joseph's Altars over the next few weeks. While St. Joseph's Day is March 19, most altars will be open the weekend before. On Sunday, March 17, a St. Joseph's Altar will be open from noon to 4 p.m. at Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center, 17560 George...

The following parishes, schools and entities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans will host St. Joseph Altars for the feast of St. Joseph on March 19. The tradition, which is Sicilian and Roman Catholic in origin but is carried on locally by Italian-Americans and people of all nationalities and faiths, includes baking cookies and cakes and preparing f...

The topic of the presence of women in the homes of Italian American communities throughout the United States has always been fascinating, fundamental for the survival of the families of our compatriots in America, and somewhat underestimated. The topic of food is similar, equally important and links many other aspects of the life of the Italian Ame...

We’re in the middle of March and for Italians, March means a few things. For one thing, we’re in Lent, so chances are, Catholics have Easter on their minds. But before that, we’re looking forward to celebrating the Feast of St. Joseph, or La Festa San Giuseppe, in Italian. Celebrated on March 19th, the feast honors Joseph, husband to the Virgin Mar...